Author
Topic: Oven dimensions dilemma (Read 1810 times)

I realise a low roofed brick oven (Pompeii/igloo style) is the best for Neapolitan pizzas, but I have a "contract" to build an oven that is only about 33.5 inches in diameter. The "client" wants a "small pizza oven like yours, but with a bigger door so I can fit a turkey in". The "contract" is a sort of social obligation - no wages involved. So I've sneaked in an extra 4 inches diameter (mine is 29.5 inches inside), while he wasn't looking, but the only way give him a 12 inch high entry arch and still keep close to the 0.63 ratio of dome to entry is to make the dome height around 19 inches. That's a high dome general purpose oven, not a low dome dedicated to pizza oven. The age old problem - people want a "pizza" oven, but then they promptly want it do everything.

So, the question is, will an oven 19 inches high still make a decent pizza? The other alternative is to ignore the 0.63 dome to entry ratio, give him his 12 inch high door and bring the dome height down somewhat. Advice?Regards,Mick

I realise a low roofed brick oven (Pompeii/igloo style) is the best for Neapolitan pizzas, but I have a "contract" to build an oven that is only about 33.5 inches in diameter. The "client" wants a "small pizza oven like yours, but with a bigger door so I can fit a turkey in". The "contract" is a sort of social obligation - no wages involved. So I've sneaked in an extra 4 inches diameter (mine is 29.5 inches inside), while he wasn't looking, but the only way give him a 12 inch high entry arch and still keep close to the 0.63 ratio of dome to entry is to make the dome height around 19 inches. That's a high dome general purpose oven, not a low dome dedicated to pizza oven. The age old problem - people want a "pizza" oven, but then they promptly want it do everything.

So, the question is, will an oven 19 inches high still make a decent pizza? The other alternative is to ignore the 0.63 dome to entry ratio, give him his 12 inch high door and bring the dome height down somewhat. Advice?Regards,Mick

Why not shoot for a 9"- 10" door and a 14" - 16" ceiling? An elliptical shape rather than spherical would get you closer to what the client wants too.

I think you guys are right. The "natural" dome height of a 33.5 inch oven is 16.75 inches, the radius. At that rate, 0.63 is a 10.55 inch door, and an 11 inch door is 0.65. I reckon he gets what works not what he thinks he wants.